French football legend Zinedine Zidane’s son Luca said on Wednesday he is “proud” to represent Algeria ahead of the north African country’s World Cup qualifier against Somalia.
Luca Zidane, 27, turned out for France’s youth team but has chosen to play for Algeria where his grandparents were born.
“I’m very happy to be here. It makes me proud and I will give everything at 100 percent to make the Algerian people proud,” the goalkeeper told a press conference in Oran.
Zidane junior, who plays for Spanish second tier side Granada, changed sporting nationality last month having never represented France at senior level.
He received his first call up for Algeria in a 26-man squad for the next two qualifiers.
“All my family are proud of me and back my choice, my grandfather is happy that I’m in Algeria and that I’ve made this decision,” he added.
His father, who was a World Cup winner for France in 1998, “had his journey, his career. As for me I have my journey, my career,” said Luca.
Algeria can become the fourth African team to qualify for next year’s World Cup if they beat Somalia, with Luca saying: “The first objective, it’s tomorrow, it’s Somalia and to win to qualify for the World Cup”.
